Bellona
by thorsdiana
Summary: Bellona had watched the world change in many ways over the years she's been alive. But one thing she never expected was to see humans grow into powered individuals. They weren't Demigods, but regular humans that gained their powers in unique ways, but there was a cost. When Bellona is asked to go to war with aliens in order to protect the world, she's more than happy to accept.
1. Dinner For One

The water sent a burning sensation throughout her hand as it came in contact with the broken skin. One would think she'd be used to it after all this time, yet her body always reacted negatively. She mentally cursed herself for getting carried away with boxing, knowing full and well how aggressive she'd get. But there was nothing she could do now, except for deal with the aftermath.

"I told you not to go too far," Minerva called out to her. Bellona looked over her shoulder, giving her sister a small glare, which only earned her a smirk in response.

"You know how stubborn I can be, sister," she responded. Once the blood was cleared from her skin, she turned off the faucet and wrapped her hand in a towel, gently dabbing over the sensitive skin. Minerva gabbed the first aid kit that rested beside her on the couch and approached her sister in the kitchen, setting it onto the counter.

"You also let your anger get the best of you."

Bellona remained silent at the comment. She knew her sister was right. She's always been a hothead, letting her emotions get the best of her. At times, it was helpful, then in other instances, it was a weakness of hers. She opened the kit and grabbed a bandaid and placed it over the cut.

"He brings an ugly side out of me," Bellona finally said, refusing to make eye contact with her sister. He, meaning her ex-husband Mars. Things between them didn't end on such a positive note and Mars makes sure to remind her of their downfall every chance he gets. "He knows exactly what to say that'll push me over the edge. He taunts me with snide comments. I hate seeing him at our annual meetings."

At least once a year, the Gods would meet together in secret to discuss any important events that may have occurred within the year, any changes and status of how things on Earth is. Each meeting required every God and Goddess to meet and discuss these changes and find ways to deal with them.

"As do I, though my distain for him is not as great as yours." Minerva felt for her sister, she truly did. She placed a caring arm around her shoulders and Bellona laid her head on Minerva's shoulder. "At least you don't have to worry about seeing him for another year."

"I wish I didn't have to see him for the rest of my life," Bellona mumbles.

"Well, that'll be impossible. Unless someone were to kill him." Bellona then lifts her head and gives her sister a look, Minerva instantly realizing what she was thinking and quickly shook her head. "My god, Bellona. You should know better than to think of killing another God."

"No one will miss him," she shot back. "Besides, if they need another God of War, I'll be happy to fill in that spot. I'm basically the same thing, and even _better_."

"Father would have your head if he heard you speak like that," Minerva warned.

Bellona placed a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder and smile softly. "You know father loves me dearly, he wouldn't do that to me. Besides, he dislikes Mars as well. I'll be doing him a favor."

"Father dislikes a lot of the Gods, yet they're still around. They're important and you cannot get rid of one and disrupt the balance we've spent millennia putting into place."

Bellona puts her hands up in defeat, letting out a few chuckles. "Alright, alright. I'll let him live...for now." She earns herself a glare, which she responds by hugging her sister. "Thank you," she whispered. "For coming here after the meeting and talking. I needed it."

"Of course, Bellona," she tightens her grip for a moment before pulling away. "I should be returning to London. I'm expecting a shipment later today."

"Still collecting old Greek and Roman artifacts I see," Bellona said.

Minerva smiled and nodded. "Yes, it's one of the best ways to feel connected to our past."

"Not all of our past is something good, sister."

"Yes, just like not all of our future will be good either. But if we stayed focused on the bad, we'll be too consumed by the darkness to enjoy the beauty."

"Sounds like something mother would say." The two shared one last smile before Minerva left Bellona's apartment, leaving Bellona alone in her kitchen. She took the time to clear up her mess and placed the kit back under the sink in her bathroom. She glanced at her watch, realizing that it was only thirty minutes after eight. After the intense workout she had today, she found herself starving. Instead of spending the night alone in her apartment, she decided to go out for dinner.

She opted to stop by one of her favorite Italian restaurants within the city. It was only a fifteen minute walk from her apartment, which allowed her the chance to think about everything that happened. From the intel about Loki coming to Earth, to the hostile exchanged she had gone through with her ex-husband, Mars. The day had been very draining, to say the least.

But the moment she stepped into the restaurant, her problems seemed to vanish. Her senses were overwhelmed with the many spices and other scents from the food that was being cooked and served. It made her nerves calm and she felt like she was in heaven.

She'd visited the restaurant so much that she didn't even need to tell the waitress what she wanted. They knew immediately what she would order to drink and eat. For a brief moment, she didn't have to deal with anyone bothering her. She didn't have to answer to anyone. That was until a deep voice broke her silence.

"Dinner for one? What, did you get stood up?" Bellona glanced up at the man. He wore an eyepatch over his left eye, completely dressed in black. She had no idea who he was, but she guessed he must've known who she was.

"And I take it you'll be the one who swoops in for the rescue?" She responded. He let out a dry chuckle, then took a seat across from her. She sensed he was serious about this surprise visit, so she dropped the friendliness and went straight to business. "Who sent you?"

"Funny, I should be asking you the same thing." He pulled out a small tablet then began typing and swiping at things before he turned it around, allowing her to see the screen. She watched footage of her fighting off various creatures and other powerful beings. She even caught a glimpse of footage of her in this same restaurant.

He had been watching her and she had no idea.

"Would you believe me if I said I was the Goddess of War," she whispered.

"Lady, I've seen a giant green monster and other things you wouldn't believe me if I told you. You calling yourself a God is probably the simplest thing I've heard."

" _Goddess_ ," she corrected him. "What is it that you want?"

The man then reached into his black trench coat and pulled out a file, then placed it onto the table. He urged her to open it, which she did and began scanning the file. "Recently, a facility of mine was robbed by a man who calls himself Loki. He's-"

"A power-crazed God," she interrupted. "I have intel that said he returned to Earth, but I didn't know what it was that he came for. It says he came for this cube, something mortals are not capable of handling."

The man then shot her a look and she simply shrugged.

"I can tell that this is not of your world, it's something beyond you. The fact that you've been hoarding it is a problem."

"Never mind what we've been doing with it, what we need to focus on is getting the cube back from him. There's no telling what he'll do with it, all we know is that it can't be good. He took one of my best men and a scientist that i've been working with. I need your assistance getting this back."

"And what exactly do I get out of this, hm?"

"A chance to be a hero to the people and who knows, make a few friends along the way," he responded. Bellona raised a brow, confused as to what the man meant by that. "You see, I'm trying to put together a team of powered people and you've made the cut." He then placed a flashdrive onto the table and slid it towards her. "This includes intel on the people you'll be working with, as well as the location to meet us, if you choose to join."

The man didn't waste another moment and got up from the table, making his way towards the door and leaving. Bellona was stunned by the exchange. She glanced down at the flashdrive, staring at it, debating whether or not to take it.

Should she join a team or take on the mission solo?

By working with others, it ensured a better success rate at finding Loki and stopping him from possibly harming mankind. But on the other hand, she had no idea who these people were, and reading a file wouldn't put her entirely at ease. She'd also have to expose herself to others, though if she had gotten files on them, there's no doubt they've gotten files on her.

She couldn't choose now, but she knew she definitely have to sleep on it.


	2. Making Friends

Bellona underestimated the man and this SHIELD. The last thing she expected was to be sitting in a high-tech jet, flying over the sea, completely undetectable from the outside world. Their equipment was state of the art, something that was more advanced for their own time.

She stared out the window, watching the faint reflection of the jet hovering over the waves. It was nothing but silence, every now and then the sound of the pilot flipping a few switches.

Finally, there was the sight of something new. The jet approached a helicarrier, which Bellona knew immediately that they had reached their destination. Bellona made note of the large symbol on the helicarrier; a golden falcon inside a dashed golden circle. The jet descended and she was escorted out. She watched as a skinny, red-haired woman approached her with a faint smile.

"I suppose you're my welcome party," Bellona said to the woman. The red-haired woman briefly nodded.

"I'm Agent Romanoff," she introduced herself.

"Bellona," she introduced herself. Romanoff began walking, but slow enough to allow Bellona to follow her.

"I've read your file," the woman began. "You're a strong fighter. Fury said you're a Goddess of War?" She asked.

Bellona smiled at the compliment. She figured this Fury the woman was referring to was the man she had met yesterday. "Yes, I am. Being an excellent fighter is a necessity for my duty."

Romanoff turned and her eyes met the Bellona's. She scanned her face and body, taking notice of how youthful she looked. "So, I guess immortality with you Gods is an actual thing?"

"Somewhat. We can still die, we're not invincible. We're much harder to kill than you humans," she explained. Romanoff nodded her head and focused on walking. They approached another jet, watching as two men exited from it. One man was in a black suit, the other in more casual clothing yet seemed old-fashioned. Immediately, Bellona realized he was Captain Steve Rogers.

She had read his file, learning about his time as Captain America during World War II. It amazed her that he managed to survive after all this time of being frozen. It was a fascination she would love to learn more about, but she knew that it had to wait. There were more important things to tend to.

"Agent Romanoff, Captain Rogers," the man in the suit introduced. He then glanced over at Bellona.

"I'm Bellona," she informed them.

"Ma'am, Miss," Steve greeted.

"Hi," Romanoff replied, her voice coming off more deadpan than she meant. Her attention then went to the man in the suit. "They need you on the bridge. They're starting the face-trace," she told the man in the suit.

"See you there," he said before he left the three. Romanoff's eyes quickly scanned Steve's body and then began walking, the two quickly following after her.

"It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice," she told the man. "I thought Coulson was gonna swoon," she joked. "Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

Steve's brows furrowed as he looked at her. "Trading cards?" He asked.

"They're vintage. He's very proud," she responded with a small smile. Steve then glanced over at Bellona.

"I've read your file. You're strong, stronger than even me. And you're weapon choices, what are they? How do they work?"

Bellona couldn't hide the smile that formed on her lips. It was moments like this that reminded her of the simple beauty of humans; their curiosity. "I'm naturally gifted, Rogers," she replied. "And I'm sure you know what a shield and sword are, as for my lasso, well, that's something I'll have to explain to you when we're not so pressed for time."

Steve nodded his head, understanding the circumstances. Though, there was no doubt he'd come back to that question. He definitely wanted an answer about her lasso.

As they continued walking, they came across a man who was obviously confused about where he was. He stumbled as he turned in a circle. Bellona took note that it was none other than Dr. Bruce Banner, the Hulk himself.

She remembered watching the footage of him fighting off a strange creature, while also some other footage of him flipping large government tanks. It interested her as to how he managed to create such a creature by gamma radiation.

"Dr. Banner," Steve called out. With his attention grabbed, the man stopped tumbling and followed the sound of Steve's voice. He approached the three of them, confused.

"Yeah, hi," he said as he held out his hand to shake Steve's. "They told me you were coming." He then held out his hand to Bellona, shaking hers as well.

"Word is you can find the cube," Steve said to him.

Bruce then looked around nervously. "Is that the only word on me?" He asked.

"Only word I care about," he said.

"Lady and gentlemen, you might want to step inside in a minute. It's going to get a little hard to breathe," Romanoff said with a slight smile. Suddenly, the sound of gears changing, metal moving, and a voice over the PA could be heard.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked, walking towards the edge of the helicarrier.

"Really? They want me in a submerged, pressurized, metal container?" Bruce commented. Bellona stayed beside Romanoff, watching the two men as they walked to the edge. She quickly realized that it wasn't a submarine as she felt the floor rise. The three of them took to the agent's words and headed inside, quickly making their way to the helicarrier's main room.

All around, there were computers and agents either working at them or walking around the room, tending to whatever work they had. They all wore the same dark blue suits, each with that same falcon symbol on the sides of their shoulders.

"Minvera would love this place," Bellona muttered to herself as she admired the scene. As she walked further in, she caught the sight of the man from yesterday, standing at the center of the room and at a control panel. Once he finished giving an order, he turned to face Bellona, Steve, and Bruce.

"Gentlemen and lady," he greeted. Bellona watched as Steve approached him and handed Fury a ten dollar bill. She was confused, on the matter, yet decided not to dwell too much on it. Fury then approached her.

"I'm glad you decided to join us," he said to her.

"I've missed the battle," she replied, a small smile forming on her lips. He then left to tend to Bruce. Bellona listened to agents as they talked about their progress in locating the agent they had lost. Bruce gave his intel, which turned out to be helpful, and he and Romanoff left so that she could show him his new lab.

Hours had passed, and there was still no news on Loki's whereabouts. She hoped Bruce's ideas would be enough to help and speed up the process, yet there was still nothing. She didn't know whether this SHIELD's equipment was as great as they made it out to be. She began to doubt whether they'd actually find the man.

It wasn't until she heard an agent call out about a possible match. He began calling out the percentage of the match, each one getting higher and higher. Once they learned of the location of Loki, Bellona and Steve knew it was time to suit up.


	3. Shakespeare in the Park

Bellona sat quietly as they made their way to Germany. She only wanted to focus on getting Loki and the object he'd stolen. She couldn't help but worry about their run in with him. She knew how tricky he could be from her limited history with the man, but now he seemed unpredictable.

Finally, the person to break the silence was Agent Romanoff.

"There he is," she told Bellona and Steve. The two stood up and watched from the window as clones of Loki blocked off a large crowd of Germans. Bellona's eyes narrowed, her lip twisted in disgust as she watched him talk over the crowd. She wanted nothing more than to knock him down, but before she could do anything, Steve beat her to it.

She watched as he jumped from the quinjet and intervened. Romanoff repositioned the quinjet and aimed its guns at Loki, warning him to lower his weapon. From the window, Bellona watched as Steve and Loki fought. Steve had gotten a few punches in, as did Loki, and when she saw her teammate defeated, she was ready to come to his aid.

"Can't you shoot him?" Bellona asked Agent Romanoff.

She shook her head in response.

"The guy's all over the place," she told her. Bellona reached behind herself, placing her hand on her shield when suddenly a new voice and rock music was heard over the intercom.

"Agent Romanoff, you miss me?" The voice said. Bellona's brows furrowed and when she saw a man flying in a metal suit, she knew immediately who came to the rescue. It was Tony Stark.

They had been flying for a while now. It was dead silence, Loki refusing to say anything. Bellona's eyes stayed on the man, her eyes were harsh and her glare was burning into his soul. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and approached him.

"Time hasn't been kind to you, Loki. You've gotten even greasier over the years," she taunted. He simply glared at her, still remaining silent. She needed him to break, so she pushed further. "From what I've seen, you're lacking in your skills. You went down sooner than I thought. Here I thought you could handle a simple human."

This time, he broke his silence.

"Bellona, my dear. If you question my skills so much, why did you decide to miss out on all the fun, hmm?" He asked. His eyes soften, yet his lips turned upward and held something sinister. "May I ask, how is Mars? Last I heard, he was off with a beautiful new wife. Venus, I believe her name was."

The mention of Mars made Bellona's blood boil. Loki using him against her made her blood boil. She wanted nothing more than to knock him around, but the last thing she needed was Fury getting angry with her for messing up the mission.

Suddenly, there was the sound of thunder and lightning was seen in the sky. Agent Romanoff, Steve, and Tony looked around, confused by the sudden change of weather. But Bellona and Loki knew that it wasn't just some random coincidence. Loki began to look around frantically.

"What's the matter? Are you scared of a little lightning?" Steve asked.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki replied.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud and the quinjet shook as something came in contact. Steve and Tony suited up, then Tony opened the rear hatch and approached the opening.

"What are you doing?" Steve called out to him.

It was none other than Thor. When Bellona saw him, she was practically frozen from where she stood. She watched as he approached Tony and knocked him back with a single blow from his hammer. He reached for Loki, paying Bellona no mind, and then flew off the quinjet.

"Now there's that guy," Tony commented.

"Another Asgardian?" Agent Romanoff asked.

"That guy's a friendly?" Steve asked.

"Doesn't matter,' Tony interrupted. "If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost." Tony then walked towards the open hatch.

"He wouldn't," Bellona defended Thor.

"Stark, we need a plan of attack!"

"I have a plan. Attack." With that, Tony flew out of the quinjet, following after Thor. Steve then rushed to get a parachute, and Natasha tried to convince him otherwise.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap."

"I don't see how I can," he said as he put the straps together.

"These guys come from legend. They're practically gods."

"They _are_ Gods, and you're not strong enough to handle them," Bellona told Steve.

"There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."

Bellona's eyes became daggers and they were aimed at Steve. She couldn't help but find offense to his comment. Of course, not everyone believed in the Roman Gods or even the Norse Gods, but to hear him disregard them, in person, made her blood boil.

When Steve jumped out, it was simple Bellona and Agent Romanoff. Bellona knew the two of them were no match for Thor. He was an Asgardian, a God. He had a strength that could not be matched by any human.

"They're going to get themselves killed," Bellona said to herself. She then pulled her shield from her back and leaped from the rear hatch and dived through the air.

She felt weightless as she soared through the sky. The wind was harsh against her skin, yet it was comforting. She brought her shield up, taking some of the blow against the air.

Finally, she landed on the ground, feet first and causing the ground to shake on impact. She found Thor and Tony fighting and she threw her shield between them, stopping them.

"Knock it off!" She yelled at them. She then jumped down and started towards them. She was shortly joined by Steve who approached the two.

"Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here," Steve began.

"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes," Thor replied.

"Then prove it. Put that hammer down."

"Yeah...no," Tony interjected. "Bad call. He loves his hammer." Without warning, Thor swung his hammer, sending Tony flying.

Bellona knew immediately the trouble that would follow.

"You want me to put the hammer down?"

"Thor no!" She yelled at him, but it was too late. She watched as Thor rushed towards Steve, then jumped in the air, and finally swinging his hammer down on Steve's shield. On impact, a bright flash of lightning was seen, a loud ring was heard, and finally, a large gust of wind sent everyone and everything flying. Bellona was swept off her feet and sent back flying.

She found herself covered in broken bits of tree and branches. She stood up, taking notice of the mess Thor and Steve had caused. Her eyes scanned Thor's body until meeting his eyes.

"I see you haven't lost your touch," she commented. Thor couldn't help but crack a smile at her comment. There were many ways she could have met Thor again, but the last thing she expected was under these circumstances.


	4. Old Friends

Hours had passed since they captured Loki. They had returned to the helicarrier and the group, now joined by Thor, surrounded together as they watched the footage of Fury and Loki. Fury had locked Loki in a large cell, one that seemed too large to hold someone like him. Bellona didn't have to wonder long before realizing who that cell was really for, and while she understood the precaution, she felt some pity towards Bruce.

They all listened in on Loki's words, paying much attention to the jab he took towards Bruce and towards SHIELD. Bellona wasn't entirely shocked by his words, she always guessed he wasn't the kindest, yet it still shocked her that he'd do something of this magnitude. She had no idea what drove him to this point, given the fact that she hadn't talked or seen him in centuries. It was a question she had for Thor, whenever they had the time.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce said, though it was clear as day that he was being sarcastic.

"Loki's gonna drag this out," Steve stated. "So, Thor," he glanced up at the blonde haired god, "what's his play?"

"He has an army called the Chitauri," he started. "They're not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"And for him to rule over everyone and cause nothing but misery," Bellona muttered under her breath, but her words did not go unheard by Thor.

"An army...from outer space," Steve clarified.

"So, he's building another portal," Bruce pointed out. "That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" Thor asked.

"He's an astrophysicist," Bruce explained.

"He's a friend."

"Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours," Natasha added.

"I want to know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here," Steve said.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki," Bruce said. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You could smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak," Thor warned. "Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother."

"He killed 80 people in two days," Natasha informed him.

"He's adopted."

"I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium...what do they need the iridium for?"

Just as Bruce finished his words, in came Tony Stark, along with another agent of SHIELD that Bellona remembered seeing when she met Steve when she first arrived on the helicarrier.

"It's a stabilizing agent," Tony said. "It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD." He then approached Thor. "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing," he said before patting him on the arm. "Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants."

Bellona watched as Tony approached some computers in the center of the room and began giving the agents ridiculous orders. She simply rolled her eyes.

She listened as Tony went on about how the SHIELD agent that Loki had taken would help Loki find the special materials needed to keep the portal open. He and Bruce then went on to explain the science of everything, until finally Fury joined the room and allowed everyone to scatter and do their specific tasks.

Bellona and Thor remained at the table, and an awkward silence filled the air. Finally, Thor decided to break the silence.

"It's been a long time since we've last seen one another," Thor said. Bellona nodded her head in agreement.

"A couple of centuries," she pointed out. Bellona remembered how their last meeting went and chuckled lightly. "The last time we saw one another, you were trying to get me to cheat on my husband."

Thor chuckled dryly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was immature then, I've grown. How is your husband?"

"We're divorced," she replied in a deadpan voice. She noticed the change in Thor's face, one of panic for bringing Mars up. "I take it you didn't know," she stated.

Thor nodded in response. "I'm sorry to hear about it, Bellona. I know you loved him dearly."

Bellona began to wonder whether she truly loved him or if it was something she was told to do. Yes, she had feelings for Mars, but were they ever genuine? Their marriage began as nothing more than an arrangement, one that ended up coming to an end when a better offer came to the table. In her case, she either could hate it or learn to enjoy it.

"It's for the better. And what of you, Thor? Are you still trying to woo all the women of Asgard?" She teased. He chuckled lowly at her words as he shook his head.

"No," he replied. "I actually found someone or more like she found me. Her name is Jane Foster and she's of this world."

Bellona was surprised to hear about Thor finding a love, let alone one on Earth. In his youth, commitment seemed impossible to him. He wanted to woo every woman he could. But now, he's settling down. It was impressive, yet also beautiful to Bellona. A small smile formed on her lips and she placed an encouraging hand on his shoulders.

"I'm happy for you, Thor. You've grown from the Cassanova of Asgard and into a good man," she joked, causing the both of them to laugh.

"I do believe you've gotten funnier over the years. You always were so serious when we were younger," he noted.

" _I_ was serious? Are you sure you're not confusing me with my sister, Minerva? She was always the serious one."

"Ah, Minerva. Yes, you are right about her. I will never forget about the time I accidentally lost her owl. She would've had my head if it weren't for you."

Bellona smiled as she remembered that day. They were younger, more naive and full of life. Thor, his brother, and Frigga had decided to pay a visit to Olympus. It was nothing more than a friendly visit. Bellona made the mistake of showing Thor around their palace, giving him a view of the owl of Minerva. Thor thought it would be wise to take it out its cage, despite Bellona's warnings.

In the end, he frightened the bird and it was missing for hours. Minerva was so overcome with anger, and Bellona knew she'd also feel her sister's wrath if it became known that she had a part in the disappearance. After much searching, they found the owl and managed to return it to its owner. This caused Thor to earn a favor of Minerva, all thanks to Bellona.

"Even though you were annoying, I still came to your aid," Bellona said happily, flashing a small smile.

"As did I," he responded, returning a smile.


	5. Rising Tension

Bellona glanced down at her phone, looking at Minerva's phone number. She wanted nothing more than to tell her sister about what she was doing. But she knew how secretive this SHIELD was, and there was the lack of cell phone towers thousands of feet into the sky. She was keeping something hidden from her sister, and she hated it.

She put her phone back into the pocket of her red leather jacket and made her way through the halls of the helicarrier. On her way, she passed a room where she saw Bruce and Tony doing their research on Loki's staff.

She knew this was well out of their league. Mortals shouldn't be dealing with things they don't understand. She knew the staff was something out of this world, out of her own world at that, and it being in their grasp could be catastrophic. But she knew she needed to trust them.

She kept walking until she found herself back in the main control room. She leaned against a railing, looking down at all the SHIELD agents as they rushed across the room, feeding each other new information. She watched as some typed away at their computers.

Everything was so advanced. She had never seen any place like this. _How long had they been operating?_ she wondered. _How have we've not learned of this sooner?_ So many questions, but she knew getting answers would prove to be difficult.

Her eyes eventually fell on Thor, watching him as he walked with Agent Coulson and talked. She wasn't close enough to hear what their conversation was, but with one glance to the computer they were surrounding and seeing a woman's photo, she put it all together. He was talking about the mortal he fell in love with; Jane Foster.

 _She's pretty_ , Bellona thought. One would think that once you found love, you'd do anything to be with that person. But Thor doesn't seem to be with her, which confused Bellona. Although, Thor was a God, a Prince of Asgard. Jane was just a mortal from Midgard, they came from two different worlds. Bellona's lips dropped slightly.

She watched as Coulson and Thor walked away from the computers, talking further. Unknowingly, she followed them, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"In my youth, I courted war," Thor told Coulson. Bellona swallowed hard. Courting war was something she was all too familiar with. It was her drive, yet something that brought more harm to her life. She could hear the tone in his voice, he sounded full of regret.

It wasn't until the sound of Fury's voice that snapped her out of her train of thought.

"War hasn't started yet," he said. "You think you could make Loki tell us where the Tesseract is?" He asked Thor.

"I do not know," he replied as he shook his head. "Loki's mind is far afield. It's not just power he craves, it's vengeance, upon me. There's no pain would prise his need from him." Fury began walking down the stairs, getting closer to Thor.

"A lot of guys think that until the pain starts."

Thor's eyes went up, meeting Fury's. "What are you asking me to do?"

"I'm asking, what are you prepared to do?"

"Loki is a prisoner."

"Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?" Fury pointed out. It began to make Bellona wonder. Loki gave up easily, and Bellona never knew him to do such a thing. He was always a fighter. Something about it felt...off.

Once Fury left Thor's side, Bellona walked over to him.

"What if Fury is right about Loki," she began. "He didn't put up much of a fight against Rogers or Stark. That's not the Loki we know."

"I know," he agreed. "But I don't understand. What does he get out of being captured?"

"That's the million dollar question."

Bellona crossed her arms, trying to think of something. Being captured meant being separated by his staff, concealed in a high-security cell. He could get no help whatsoever, shielded off from the world or his allies. Bellona's train of thought was interrupted by Thor.

"Do the Romans know about Loki?" He asked. Bellona nodded her head.

"We knew of him coming to Earth, but we didn't know he'd be planning to rule it. Honestly, I wish I had Minerva here. I could really use her help."

"Why is it only you?" He asked. Bellona sent him a look, raising a brow. He quickly realized his mistake. "N-not that you're not adequate enough for this. I'd just think the others would have a hand in this as well."

"I'll try not to be offended, Odinson," Bellona chuckled briefly. "This was sprung on me by surprise. I didn't exactly have enough time to contact all the Romans to tell them about SHIELD and their intel on Loki. But if the time calls for it, I'll get the help."

"Protecting the realm is much easier with a few extra helping hands," Thor noted. Bellona smiled and nodded her head.

"It is. It's nice to work alongside someone different for once. Minerva is usually my partner in this type of thing." A smile formed on Thor's lips as he listened to her words. "We should probably go meet Stark and Banner in the lab," she suggested.

"Right," Thor nodded.

The last thing Bellona expected was to walk into a fight. Her and Thor ran into Natasha as they made their way to the lab. As they walked in, Bellona noticed the glare Steve was sending to Fury, the screen Tony was showing that showed a weapon being built, and a strange gun on the table.

"The world hasn't changed a bit," Steve spat.

"Did you know about this?" Bruce asked Natasha. She seemed to keep calm, taking a few steps towards Bruce.

"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" She suggested.

Bruce scoffed. "I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's manipulating you," Natasha stated, taking a few steps closer.

"And you've been doing what, exactly?"

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction?" Bruce said, pointing to the screen showcasing the weapons.

Fury remained silent for a moment before finally pointing to Bellona and Thor. "Because of them."

Thor and Bellona's brows furrowed in confusion, glancing at one another before returning their attention back onto Fury. "Us?" The two said in unison.

"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. Another year, a mysterious woman was fighting a hybrid monster that terrorized the city of Rome," he began. "We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet," Thor defended himself.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" He questioned. "And you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled."

"Like you controlled the cube?" Steve challenged.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that Earth is ready for a higher form of war." Thor explained.

"A higher form?" Steve questioned.

"You forced our hand. We had to come up with something."

"A nuclear deterrent," Tony said. "Because that always calms everything right down."

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark." Fury retorted. Bellona's eyes flashed from one person to the next as the argument continued on, insult being thrown at every direction. Everything had gone to hell.

"I mean, what are we, a team? No, we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos," Bruce said. "We're a time bomb."

" _You_ need to step away," Fury warned him.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony joked.

"You know damn well why. Back off!" Steve snapped.

"I'm starting to want you to make me," Tony challenged.

"Boys!" Bellona snapped. _Children, I'm working with children_ , she thought. She watched as the two went back and forth with insults. Bellona rolled her eyes, feeling a migraine forming from all of this.

"You people are so petty...and tiny," Thor laughed.

"Yeah, this a team," Bruce commented sarcastically.

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr. Banner back to his-"

"Where?" Bruce interrupted. "You rented my room."

"The cell was just in case-"

"In case you needed to kill me, but you can't. I know, I tried." Bruce's revelation made the room go silent. "I got low. I didn't see an end. So, I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was _good_. Until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You want to know how I stay calm?"

Bellona watched as Bruce reached for Loki's staff, picking it up. She felt herself tense up, preparing for the worse. With a calm voice, she called out to him.

"Bruce, put down the scepter," Bellona instructed. Bruce looked down at his hand, noticing what he was doing. When he heard the computer beep, he quickly placed it back onto the table and moved towards the computer.

"Sorry kid, you don't get to see my party trick after all."

"You located the Tesseract?" Thor asked.

"I could get it fastest," Tony pointed out.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it," Thor warned.

"Oh my god," Bruce gasped. Bellona looked over at him, but before he could say anything, the room exploded. Bellona was sent flying off her feet, crashing into the wall. Her whole body ached from the impact.

"You alright?" Thor asked her, helping her up from the ground. She placed a hand on her head, nodding in response to his question.

"I'll be fine, but we've got to help." Thor nodded. They agreed to go their own way. Bellona rushed through the halls, helping any hurt agents she passed along the way get to safety. She needed to get to Loki. She turned a corner, only to be knocked off her feet by someone knocking her down.

She slid across the floor until her back hit the wall. She let out a pained groan as she turned on her side. Her eyes came in contact with someone she hadn't seen in years. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open.

Before her stood a tall, slender woman. Her hair was as dark as night and she wore a teasing grin. She tilted her head to the side and giggled softly.

"Well, if it isn't my dear sister. It's been awhile, Bell."

"Discordia?" Bellona finally managed to say.


	6. Hello Sister

"You look surprised to see me," Discordia teased. The woman carefully made her way towards Bellona, her grin never faltering.

Bellona's eyes stayed wide. She didn't think her sister would have a hand in any of this. The last she heard, Discordia was off causing trouble off in another country. Discordia was many things, but this? This was different.

"What are you doing here?" Bellona finally asked. Discordia let out a light chuckle.

"To get Loki's staff, of course," she stated. "Don't tell me that bump made you lose a few brain cells." Discordia made her way closer to Bellona, placing a slender finger underneath her chin, tilting Bellona's head upward. "You've definitely aged, sister."

"This isn't you, Discordia. World domination, killing innocent people...what have you become?"

"I am _exactly_ the person you and the other Romans see me as, Bellona!" Discordia spat. "Wrecking havoc, causing war and violence. Is it not what father made me for? You and the others looked down on me, treated me like I was nothing." Discordia shook her head. "No more, sister. It's time for a change."

"Why are you working with Loki? Of all people." Bellona pressed.

"Because he'll give me what I want," she replied. "He'll give me the power and appreciation my own family neglected to do."

"Loki will _never_ love you, Discordia. He's only using you for his own personal gain," Bellona warned. Discordia was about to say something, but paused, releasing her sister's face and stepping back.

"I'm afraid I'll have to cut this family reunion short, sister." Discordia then pulled a small dagger from her coat, then lunged for her sister.

Bellona was quick to react, making sure to dodge her sister's attack, then swept Discordia off her feet with a kick. The two fought, Discordia struggling for the dagger and Bellona trying her best to subdue her sister without causing much harm.

"I don't want to hurt you, Discordia," Bellona warned. Discordia simply laughed at her sister's words.

"Oh, but I want to hurt you!" She reached for the dagger, then swung it quickly, cutting Bellona on her arm. Bellona let out a pained yell. Discordia tried to attack her again but was stopped when SHIELD agents came and began shooting at her.

"NO!" Bellona yelled. But their efforts were futile. She managed to get away, unscathed. The agents came to Bellona's aid, but she ignored their help. Instead, she quickly hopped onto her feet and chased after her sister.

She couldn't understand why Discordia would be helping Loki. Of course, they had a history, but she thought her sister was wiser than this. Loki was never a man who'd one could trust with an alliance. It worried Bellona that her sister would be falling down a dangerous path and Loki would be her downfall.

After a few corners, Bellona came to the conclusion that her sister was lost. She began rushing down a hallway, only to be confronted by rogue agents. As soon as they laid eyes on her, they began shooting.

Bellona deflected the bullets with her bracelets that were hidden underneath her jacket. She quickly made her way towards the agents, attacking each one that charged at her. One was thrown against the wall, another was kicked, and the last remaining one was simply pushed against a wall, knocking them out immediately.

She made her way throughout the helicarrier until finally stumbling into Thor. She noticed how he'd been roughed around, which he simply said "Hulk" and she knew immediately what happened.

"Discordia is working with Loki," she told him. His brows furrowed at the news.

"Why would your sister be working with my brother?" He asked. "What could she possibly gain from this?"

"Revenge, anger at the Romans, love maybe." She listed. Bellona shook her head. "Love can make a person do stupid things."

Thor opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off when they felt the ground shift beneath them. Thor was quick to grab onto something, but Bellona found herself falling in the direction of the broken glass window.

Thor quickly caught a grip on her wrist, taking a tight hold so that she would not slip. Bellona's dainty fingers wrapped around his wrist, and she quickly looked down, taking note of how far the drop would be.

"I've got you," Thor assured her. Bellona looked up, her eyes meeting his. He began to move his arm upward, pulling her closer to him. Once close enough, Bellona managed to take hold onto the doorway, placing her feet on the ground. She glanced down at the window, then at Thor, and began laughing.

"Thor Odinson, my savior," Bellona joked. She couldn't help but think about their past, all the moments they've saved one another from dangerous situations. It was a joke of theirs, being one another's saviors.

"Always," Thor said, a small, tired smile formed on his lips. Bellona returned a smile.

The sound of explosions reminded the two of the current situation, snapping them out of their little world.

"Go find your brother," Bellona said.

"And you your sister," he responded. Bellona watched silently as he darted down the hall. She missed these moments, whether she knew it or not. Working with Thor gave her more joy than she thought. But she knew this would be over soon. Loki would be stopped, then he'd return to his world and she'd remain on Earth. There was no point of dwelling.

She continued her search for her sister, but no luck. She found a few SHIELD agents, helping those who were harmed and getting them to safety. She also took down a few rogue agents, but still no Discordia.

But everything came to a halt when Bellona got the news. When she heard Fury mention Coulson being down, she felt her stomach drop. War was always dangerous, but losing a comrade is something she never could get over.


	7. Avengers Assemble

Bellona stared out the window, remaining silent as she watched the clouds. Despite the sun shining in the sky, everything felt cloudy and grey. She couldn't stand to be around Fury or the test of the team.

She couldn't stand how she let her sister get away. Nor could she stand how much she hated her. Yes, the Romans weren't too kind to her, but for her to stoop this low? Controlling mankind? Discordia was many things, but this was a new low for Discordia. But she had no one to blame but herself.

"What have we created," Bellona quietly said to herself.

"Bellona," a voice called out. Bellona turned around, taking notice of a figure approaching her. It didn't take her long to realize a familiar face.

"Mercury," she said. She rushed to him and pulled him into a tight hug. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"I can find anyone and visit them anywhere," he reminded her. "Minerva sent me. She was worried. The news of Loki worried her and she couldn't get in contact with you. I can see she was right to worry."

"Loki isn't our only problem," Bellona admitted. "Discordia is working with him, and I fear we're the cause of it."

"This is something Discordia would do, we are not to blame for her own actions."

"No," she defended her sister. She knew Discordia was trouble, but she knew her sister better than Mercury did. She knew Discordia was troubled, but never this sinister. "We pushed her away, made her feel alone. Loki must've taken advantage of that."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Bellona was about to say something until she was interrupted by the sound of Tony's voice through her headset.

"Hey Hot Head, you up for another go?" Tony said.

"What is it, Stark?"

"Loki's at Stark Tower. Suit up and meet us at the quinjet."

"You got it," Bellona responded. She brought her attention back to Mercury. "I need you to tell Minerva to meet me near the Stark Tower. Loki's there and I could use all the help I could get when dealing with Discordia."

During the ride to the city, Bellona knew it would be wise to let the team know about Discordia. She warned them to be careful of her. She was a trickster and knew exactly what to say or do to cause more problems. But most importantly, she emphasized her point to make sure Discordia came out of this alive. She was her sister and needed to face the proper justice by the Romans for this.

She stood behind the two pilot seats of the quinjet, watching the horror from the city through the window. The Chitauri were attacking the city, destroying any and everything in their paths, killing whoever they wanted.

"By the Gods," she muttered. Natasha and Clint flew the quinjet to Stark Tower, Clint calling out when he got an eye on Loki and Thor on top of the building. Bellona couldn't help but smile at the sight of Thor. She felt relief to see him alive.

Natasha and Clint went on to shoot at Loki, who retaliated by blasting a wing of the quinjet. The sudden jolt knocked Bellona back, but she was quick to steady herself onto the bench, holding on tightly as the quinjet rocked aggressively. Natasha and Clint began to lose control, trying their best to land the quinjet safely without causing any more casualties. Natasha, Clint, Bellona, and Steve rushed out the quinjet and made their way down the street.

"We got to get back up there!" Steve yelled to the group. The group eventually came to a halt when a loud, mechanic grown was heard. The group looked up at the large portal in the sky, watching in shock as a large mechanic worm flew out from it, roaring as it did so. As it flew over them, cords and other Chitauri were thrown from it, jumping into buildings.

"Minerva where are you when I need you?" Bellona muttered to herself.

The group then took cover against two taxi cabs. Bellona looked at the destruction around her. Buildings were on fire, people were running for their lives, and others were screaming in horror as their lives flashed before their eyes.

"We've got civilians still trapped up here," Clint pointed out. A group of Chitauri flew over the group's head, shooting down at a group of civilians on the street.

"Loki," Steve noted. "They're fish in a barrel down there." There was a sudden blast, which Bellona managed to deflect with ease. A group of the Chitauri was now focused on killing them.

"We got this," Natasha told Steve. "It's good, go."

"Do you think you can hold them off?" Steve asked Clint.

"Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure." Clint then took an arrow from his pack and shot it at one of the Chitauri, only for it to release small bullets at the rest of the group, killing them instantly.

As Steve left the group, Bellona stuck with the two agents to fight. She charged at one alien, deflecting all of their shots. She shoved an alien with her elbow, sending it flying into a crushed car. She charged at another alien, this time using her shield, knocking it off its feet and sending it flying several feet before it crashed into a building.

She was caught off guard when an alien blasted her in the back, sending her flying to the ground. Once she steadied herself, she glanced up, her eyes meeting her opponent. A smirk quickly grew on her lips and her head tilted to the side slightly.

She was quick getting up. It only took her a few seconds to go after the alien, sending a harsh punch to its face. With each swing, she felt something inside her awakening. Her body's temperature was quickly rising, her punches became stronger with each swing, and there was a fire in her eyes.

At this moment, she was truly the Goddess of Destruction and Bloodlust.

Bellona approached a car, lifting it up with ease and tossed it at a group of aliens. She felt a presence behind her and turned around, quickly drawing her sword, only to be stopped when she saw a friendly face.

"Don't kill me, sister!" Minerva said quickly. It didn't take her long to realize the look in Bellona's eyes when she became overwhelmed with worry. "Relax, Bellona."

"I can't!" She took a step away from her sister. Glancing around at the aliens, fired up and ready to attack her next target. Her body screamed for violence. "I _need_ to destroy them."

"No, you need to save the people of New York. I'll deal with the Chitauri, you deal with saving people's lives." Minerva took a step closer to her sister, placing a gentle hand against her cheek. "Focus, sister. Don't give in."

There was something about her voice, her touch, that got to Bellona. She moved her head to the side, feeling the internal battle inside her growing. Her body wanted to reject her sister's words, yet mentally she knew to listen. She couldn't give into the bloodlust that was growing inside her. She was stronger than that.

Minerva's words kept playing on repeat in Bellona's mind. _Don't give in._ Minerva watched with a worried look as her sister struggled with herself.

"Okay," Bellona finally said. She could fight it. She could do this without dipping into that dark side of her. Minerva let out a breath of relief.

The two went their separate ways, Bellona focusing on a group of people running on the sidewalk. She threw her shield at one of the Chitauri, then used her whip to pull another from his feet, then impaled it with her sword. She directed the people inside a building, making sure that they stayed safe.

She then helped Clint with freeing some passengers from a bus. In no time, they were joined by Thor and Steve again. When Thor came crashing to the ground, Bellona noticed how he struggled against a car.

"Are you fine?" Bellona asked him. Thor nodded his head, but Bellona knew that was a lie. He was hurt but he wasn't going to let it affect their fight. His eyes then landed onto Minerva.

"Minerva?" He questioned. She flashed a small smile at the Norse God.

"Hello old friend," she greeted.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked Thor.

"The power surrounding the cub is impenetrable."

"Thor's right," Tony said through the headset. "We got to deal with these guys."

"How do we do this?" Natasha asked.

"As a team," Steve answered.

"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor interjected.

"Yeah? Well, get in line."

"Save it. Loki's going to keep this fight focused on us, and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's going to need us to-" Steve came at a stop when the sound of a motorcycle was heard. The group watched as Bruce came riding towards them.

"So, this all seems horrible," he pointed out.

"I've seen worse," Natasha commented.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"No, we could use a little worse."

"Stark, we have Banner," Bellona told Tony through her headset.

"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you." In a few moments, the group watched as Tony came flying around a building and towards them. Behind him was the large mechanical worm that came from the portal.

"What the hell?" Minerva exclaimed.

"I don't see how that's a party," Natasha commented.

"Doctor Banner, now might be a really good time for you to get angry," Steve suggested. Bruce made his way towards the mechanical worm before looking back at Steve.

"That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry." Bruce wasted no time switching into the Hulk, and sending a deadly blow to the worm. Bellona used her shield to protect her and Thor from any falling debris.

The death of the mechanical warm caused the other Chitauri to roar with anger. The group remained closed together, preparing themselves for a fight. More of the Chitauri came from the portal.

"All right, listen up," Steve began. "Until we can close that portal, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof. Eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

"Can you give me a lift?" Clint asked Tony.

"Right. Better clench up, Legolas." Tony flew him and Clint up, leaving the group to listen to further orders from Steve.

"Thor, you got to try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You got the lightning, light the bastards up."

"The rest of us will keep the fighting here. And Hulk...smash."


	8. Bloodlust

While Steve and Natasha remained on the bridge, Bellona and Minerva decided to cover more ground and to help other citizens. They followed a group of Chitauri as they made their way to a hotel. As they entered the hotel, they saw the Chitauri aiming their guns at a group of people who were huddled together.

"After you," Minerva suggested. Bellona simply smirked and made a dash for the group of people, deflecting a shot with her metal bracelets. The alien raised its gun, trying to take another shot at her, only to be impaled by Minerva's spear.

Bellona was quick to use her whip, wrapping it around the neck of another alien and throwing it across the wall. Minerva made sure to have her back, attacking any alien who dared to get her sister while she wasn't looking.

It didn't take long for all of the Chitauri to be killed. The two guided the people out the hotel and to a nearby group of police cars. Once the people were safe, the sister continued their search for others.

"You know, I missed this," Bellona admitted. "Fighting together, it's fun. It's more fun with you than it is doing it alone."

"You don't seem to alone now, yet you ask Mercury for my help," she replied. There was a brief silence before Minerva smiled. "So, you and Thor...I saw the way you were quick to shield him from the debris of that mechanic worm. There's something there, isn't it?"

Bellona let out a small chuckle, mostly out of nervousness. She knew what Minerva was implying, but she couldn't be more wrong.

"No, sister. We're simply old friends working together to stop our siblings from destroying a world."

"Sure," Minerva snorted.

"It's true," Bellona paused for a moment, remembering the woman Thor was smitten with. "Besides, he's found love with a Midgardian woman. She's pretty and smart."

"Oh," was all Minerva could think to say. She knew Bellona didn't want to dwell further on it, so she brought their attention back on the mission at hand.

The two made their way into another building after hearing a few screams. Once they walked in, they saw two aliens aiming their guns at a small group of people, and standing in front of them was their sister.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Discordia called out. She turned around, finally facing both of her sisters. "Oh, Minerva. How long has it been since we saw each other last? A hundred or two years?"

"End this, Discordia. Or else you'd leave us no choice but to end you," Minerva warned. Discordia simply laughed at the threat.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," Discordia said sarcastically. She glanced over at one of the Chitauri and motioned for him to take care of them. It then communicated with its partner and they proceeded to attack Bellona and Minerva.

The two were quick and swift with their attacks. One of the Chitauri fired a shot at Minerva, but she simply dodged the attack with ease. She twirled her spear gracefully in her hand and swung it at the alien. It was quick to block her attack with its gun. She saw a weakness and kicked it in its leg, causing it to drop its guard. As it fumbled back, she swung her spear, cutting it in its chest, killing it instantly.

Bellona used her bracelets to deflect each shot that was fired by the other Chitauri's gun. The alien approached her and managed to knock her in the head with the butt of its gun. There was a pounding feeling in her head, but it was something she could handle. She glared at the alien, then quickly headbutt it, sending it off its feet. She unsheathed her sword and plunged it into the alien's chest, killing it instantly.

Bellona took notice of Discordia whispering something into the ears of the hostages. She watches as their demure changed, their eyes that were once full of life were now filled with something else, something dark.

The hostages came charging at Bellona and Minerva. The two knew they couldn't use their weapons against these people, they were innocents. They were simply puppets in Discordia's little game. The two Goddesses were careful when it came to dealing with the people. Their attacks were lighter than usual, making sure that they'd only have to worry about minor concussions.

To her surprise, Discordia charged at Bellona. She didn't have much time to react and felt a sharp pain in her side. Bellona let out a pained yell, looking down at her abdomen and noticed Discordia had stabbed her with a small dagger.

"This is nothing compared to how you've all made me feel," Discordia whispered to her sister. Bellona backed away, pulling the dagger from her stomach, but not charging at Discordia. Discordia took it upon herself to throw a punch at Bellona, causing her to stumble back for a moment.

"I won't fight you, sister," Bellona said. She didn't want to hurt Discordia any further. She knew it would only push her further into this darkness she'd been consumed by for so long. But every fiber in her body was screaming to fight. It was the bloodlust, and Discordia wasn't making it any easier to fight it.

Discordia couldn't help but scoff at the refusal to fight. This was unlike Bellona. She was a fighter, one of the best the Romans have ever seen. Refusing to fight just wasn't in her nature.

"How _weak_ ," Discordia spat. She kicked Bellona in her calves, causing her to fall to her knees. Bellona was now looking up to her, and it gave her such joy.

"Enough!" Minerva yelled. Her glare on Discordia only grew and they were like daggers. Discordia simply smiled.

"Minerva, you were always father's favorite. He gave you so many gifts, even Bellona grew jealous at times," Discordia simply said. She glanced down at the floor for a moment and her smile slowly faltered. "He gave everyone such precious gifts, yet what was I left with? Nothing but despair, a curse where destruction would always follow and treated as if I was nothing but the dirt you'd all walk over."

"You think you're the only one who's been given a curse?" Minerva scoffed. "None of us are perfect and neither are our roles. Our gifts come with curses, it's just how it is."

"Father gifted you with knowledge and you became one of his top advisers, Bellona was gifted as a General in our ranks, as well as a husband to love, and so on for the others," she said. "But for me? He gifted me with darkness, the ability to cause chaos, making everyone want to avoid me. I was seen as nothing more than an evil snake. You were given _everything_ while I was given nothing!"

"So you take your anger out on humanity? They've done nothing to you!" Minerva yelled.

"That is all Loki. I'm simply helping him and in return, he'll help me."

"You lovesick puppy," Minerva laughed. "You're doing this to please an old flame, but don't you know? You can't trust that snake. He'll simply use you and toss you aside once you've served your purpose."

"No! He's not like you or the others. He's shown me the attention and care that none of you ever have."

"He's using you," Bellona finally said. "He doesn't really love you."

"As if you know what love is," Discordia spat. "Your marriage was arranged and from what I've heard, there's never been any true love. Mars grew bored of the fake life you'd been living and found true love in someone else. And you blame him for your failure of a marriage, but it's always been you."

Hearing Discordia say those words set something off in Bellona. She tried her best to fight the bloodlust, but she couldn't hold back any longer. Being reminded of Mars leaving her for Venus was always a trouble spot she could never get over. And hearing her own sister remind her of it pissed her off. That flame was back in her eyes and she wasted no time going after Discordia.

Bellona was quick to tackle Discordia, but she refused to go down with ease. Bellona raised her fist, quickly bringing it down in the hopes of hitting her sister's face. Discordia just barely dodged the attack, moving her head to the side just in the nick of time. She then quickly kneed Bellona in the stomach, yet it did nothing to stop her.

Bellona quickly grabbed a piece of glass, shoving it into Discordia's side. Discordia yelled in pain, gasping for air. The sight of seeing her in pain gave Bellona this sick sense of joy. She couldn't help but smile.

Minerva moved quickly to try to pull Bellona from Discordia. She knew her sister's bloodlust was uncontrollable and she'd do something she'd regret. She took ahold of her spear and took a swing at her sister.

Bellona was quick to grab the spear, shooting her sister a deathly glare. She mustered all her strength and pushed the spear, hitting Minerva with the butt of it. Minerva was sent flying through the glass doors, and Bellona was quick to pursue her.

Bellona charged at her sister, spear in hand, and ready to kill. Minerva was stunned by the attack, feeling a strong ache in her leg. Her eyes met her sister's, seeing just how lost she was in the bloodlust. Bellona raised the spear, ready to bury it into her sister's chest, but was stopped by a strong hand.

"Bellona!" Thor yelled. Their eyes met and his brows furrowed. There was something in her eyes that Thor had never seen before. He'd never seen her like this. "What is happening?" Bellona fought him, trying to break his grasp. He was quick to grab hold of her lasso, using it to quickly bound her.

"She's lost to the bloodlust," Minerva said. She was pulling her body along the cement, trying to get away. "Even I cannot help her."

Bellona tried to break from Thor's grasp, but he wouldn't let up. He had heard stories of the bloodlust. She was a savage, cared little for who she'd kill. She was like a beast, untamed and unpredictable.

"Bellona this isn't you," he said to her. His eyes stayed on hers, his voice softer. "You're not a butcher, do not give in." His words echoed in her head. She felt a constant pressure against her head. She closed her eyes, shaking her head, and not knowing what to do to stop the pressure.

Minerva knew that look on her sister's face all too well. She was fighting the bloodlust, and it was all because of Thor.

"Keep going," Minerva told him.

"You are one of the strongest women I know," he continued. "Fight the bloodlust. You are stronger. " He brought one of his hands to the side of her neck, his touch gentle. His eyes were hopeful, only wanting to see Bellona return to him.

"Thor," she whispered. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. They no longer held the same fire they had before. She was back to her normal self. "How?" She couldn't understand how he could bring her back when Minerva couldn't.

Minerva looked at the two and the corner of her lips curled up. He was special and she knew it. Thor had a connection to Bellona that was even greater than hers.

"While that's all sweet, reminder that we have a city to save," she reminded them. Thor released Bellona from her lasso's grip and the two helped Minerva stand. "I'll be fine. Thor, go stop Loki, Bellona, you finish Discordia."

The two shared one last look before following her orders. Thor disappeared into the sky and Bellona went back to Discordia. She was groveling towards a door, holding her side to keep from bleeding out.

"Sister, you must give up," Bellona told her.

"Never." Discordia scoffed, only to quickly wince at the pain. "You might as well finish the job. Death is better than this life."

Bellona looked at her bloodied hand on her side. She was the cause of that. This wasn't what she had wanted. Bellona took a deep breath and slowly approached Discordia.

"I'm sorry," was all she said.


	9. Don't be a Stranger

Bellona felt like she was betraying her sister all over again. Discordia put up a fight, but Bellona was able to overpower her and handcuff her. She left her under the supervision of Minerva, while she carried on fighting the aliens. Though her mind couldn't help but wander back to Thor.

Minerva was one of the very few people able to talk her out of her bloodlust. To see that Thor was able to do it confused, yet amazed her. There was something about his voice, his touch, that pulled her back from all the hatred she had been feeling. All she saw was red, yet he was able to clear her mind. But how?

Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of Natasha's voice through her headset.

"Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down?" Natasha said.

"Do it!" Steve quickly replied.

"No, wait," Tony interrupted.

"Stark these things are still coming."

"I got a nuke coming in. It's gonna blow in less than a minute."

Bellona's eyes widened at the news. A bomb was coming to New York, she knew the catastrophe it would cause. Thousands of lives would be lost, and it was all to stop Loki's threat. She quickly made her way through the streets until finally making back to Thor and Steve.

"Where's Discordia?" Thor asked her.

"With Minerva," she replied. Her attention was brought elsewhere when she saw Tony flying above them holding a large nuke in his hands, flying it up towards the sky. She watched silently, swallowing hard as tony disappeared before her eyes as he entered the portal. She noticed the remaining Chitauri surrounding the three of them fell to the ground, and she knew immediately he had succeeded. She noticed the explosion of the Chitauri ship through the portal, yet she couldn't see Tony.

The silence between them was finally broken by Steve's voice.

"Close it," he said.

She watched as the portal began to close, but just when she had lost all hope, she noticed something in the sky. She let out a breath she had no idea she had been holding as she watched Tony fall through the sky.

"He's not slowing down," Thor pointed out. He began to wind Mjolnir, ready to catch him. But before he could do much, the Hulk was flying through the sky, catching Tony and taking a few hits from the buildings to catch his fall. The two came crashing down and the group came rushing towards him.

Thor tossed off his mask while Steve checked for his breathing.

"Is he breathing?" Bellona questioned. Steve remained silent, which was all the answer she needed. Bellona hated this part of war. Their purpose for it was pure, protecting those in need, fighting for justice. Yet it always came with a risk. Bellona had lost so many good people; friends, to this. Granted she hardly knew Tony, he had proven to be a good comrade.

But the silence was interrupted by the Hulk as he let out a roar, which earned him a gasp from Tony.

"What the hell?" Tony questioned.

Bellona let out a relieved sigh.

"What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me."

"We won," Bellona told him.

"Alright, yay! Hurray. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day," he said. "Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I want to try it."

"We're not finished yet," Thor said, his attention going to the now destroyed Stark Tower.

"And then shawarma after," Tony suggested.

There was something bittersweet about today. It had been a couple of days since the Battle of New York. SHIELD had collected all the necessary data on Loki and Discordia, and now it was time for them to face their justice. Bellona knew that this was what needed to be done, yet she feared for Discordia.

She knew that her actions would earn her a terrible sentencing in Olympus. Death wouldn't be granted, killing another god wasn't their way. But Discordia would yearn for it. Jupiter would make sure to make a spectacle of her sentencing.

"Are you alright?" Minerva questioned her sister. The two had been parked for a couple of minutes now, waiting for the others to arrive.

"I'm fine," she lied.

"You're worried about Discordia," she figured. Bellona remained silent, but that's all Minerva needed to confirm her guess. "She caused thousands of people's deaths, Bellona. She helped Loki nearly enslave humanity. She even threatened the Romans. There's no saving her."

"She is this way because of us," Bellona snapped. She let out of a frustrated sigh, resting her head against the headrest. "We all have a purpose, no matter how good or bad. Father gave Discordia the role of chaos, he didn't trust her nor did he want others to do so. She never felt love, not from anyone, especially father."

"Are you saying that her actions are justified?" Minerva's voice raised slightly. "There's no justification of the loss of thousands of lives."

"No, I'm not saying that. It's just...Jupiter created this role for her, whether she wanted it or not. We all followed along and she came to resent us. We caused her to be like this. She should still be punished, but an imprisonment. Somewhere far aware, remote, so that she can't do any harm to others."

Minerva remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"You want me to talk to father."

"You were always his favorite and one of his most trusted advisors. He'll listen to you."

Minerva was about to say something until they were interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on her window. The two saw it was Natasha, giving one another a look saying that they'd continue the conversation again at another time. The two exited the car and greeted the agent.

"You two heal up pretty quickly," Natasha noted.

"The upside to immortality," Minerva mused, earning herself a smile from the redhead. Bellona walked alongside the two as they made their way towards the group, but her attention was focused on one person; Thor.

She couldn't forget about how he was able to break her out of her bloodlust. It shouldn't have been so easy for him, but it was. He was able to get through to her when Minerva couldn't. There was a bond, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Seeing him with Loki brought a frown to her face. This would probably be the last time she would see him. She remembered being told that the Bifrost was gone, that this was a one-way trip.

"Talk to him," Minerva urged her sister. "Do it before it's too late."

It took a moment before Bellona followed her sister's advice. She made her way to Thor, giving him a small smile.

"Can we talk?"

He nodded in agreement, allowing someone to take Loki and keep him under their watchful eye. The two stepped aside, trying to get as much privacy as they could.

"So, you're going back to Asgard," she noted. "Do you ever plan on coming back?"

"I wish to," he admitted. "But there's much to fix. Peace must be brought back to the realms, and it's my duty."

"Of course, it's just..." she paused for a moment, letting out a sharp breath. "I liked working with you."

Thor brought a hand to Bellona's shoulder, gently squeezing it as a small smile formed on his lips. She felt her body release all tension, letting out a relaxed breath.

"I assure you, it won't be the last time."

"Just don't be a stranger, okay?" She said. "I'd hate to have to wait another hundred years before we meet again. And hopefully on better terms, not one that involves saving the world from an alien invasion," she chuckled.

"I will do my best to make sure we meet on better terms," he smiled.

The two parted, allowing Thor and Loki to finally take their leave. Bellona watched silently, her face hiding all emotion as she watched the two prepare to leave. Minerva joined her side, gently nudging her with her shoulder.

"You're just going to let him leave?" She asked.

"He has a duty to the realms, that's far more important," Bellona replied.

"You could've gone with him, you're one of the best fighters I know," she said. "Besides, I think there is something more. How else could he have been able to talk you out of your rage?"

"I don't know," Bellona sighed. "But what I _do_ know is that his heart belongs to another. So, stop trying to play matchmaker."

The two remained silent as they watched Thor and Loki get set up to leave. Bellona watched silently, hiding whatever true emotions she felt as she watched the two disappear before her eyes.


	10. Discordia's Hearing

Her nerves shook with every step she took. Her grip on Discordia's chains tightened, but not because she was worried about her sister breaking free, but because she didn't know what to expect. She wasn't used to stepping foot in Olympus a second time this year, and she hated that it was all Discordia's fault. She hated how she'd be forced to see _his_ face again.

"Nervous, sister?" Discordia quipped, a smirk quickly growing on her lips. Bellona tried to ignore her words, pulling her chains a little harsher.

"Be nice, Discordia. She's the only one trying to lessen your punishment," Minerva pointed out. Bellona could feel Minerva's eyes linger onto her as if she was looking for some type of answer for her actions. She hated how well Minerva knew her. No words had to be spoken and Minerva would easily know what was bothering her.

"Let's hope father will be willing to listen to us," Bellona finally spoke up. "He won't kill you, but he'll find ways to make you suffer so badly, you'd beg for death."

"As if he hasn't done enough emotional scarring to last a millennium," Discordia quipped. Bellona tried to bite back the smile that threatened to form on her lips, mentally agreeing with her sister's words.

"Careful," Minerva warned, her eyes scanning the halls all around them. "Jupiter has eyes and ears everywhere." Bellona pressed her lips in a tight line before bringing her focus back onto the matter at hand; bringing Discordia to court to face her charges.

"I take it you're not too thrilled about seeing Mars," Discordia noted. "I mean, the man cheated on you, made you the joke and disappointment to the Romans, then practically forced you to leave your home. I know there's some resentment deep down in there, dear sister."

"Enough, Discordia," Minerva threatened.

"I don't think so. She seems to level headed despite the fact she's about to be in the same room with that scumbag."

"And here I thought you'd enjoy my suffering," Bellona retorted.

"It's more enjoyable when I'm the cause of it," she shrugged her shoulders.

Bellona rolled her eyes before bringing her attention onto the pair of large doors that stood before them. Her eyes wandered to Discordia and no matter how much her sister tried to play off that she wasn't scared, she knew deep down she was. She was about to stand trial in front of all the Roman Gods, all of which spent years hating her for any and everything.

Discordia took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a brief moment, before opening them and motioning for her sisters to open the door. As soon as they stepped into the room, all conversations came to a halt. The room was large, golden columns decorated the walls, the Romans all sitting in their designated spot, while Jupiter and Juno sat in the center of the chairs.

Juno's eyes were soft as they landed on her daughters. It hurt her to see her daughter on trial. She knew all too well about Discordia's troubles growing up in Olympus and all she wanted was to see her children prosper. But to hear about the things Discordia did, it broke her heart. But Jupiter was a completely different story.

His eyes were harsh, and one could say he was glaring at his daughter. He was disgusted with her actions, especially helping a Norse God carry out such sinister actions. She was an embarrassment to his name, and he needed to do something about it.

"Oh, father. Time has not treated you well," Discordia teased. Her words only encouraged an annoyed grin to form on his face. "How long has it been since we've seen one another? 200? 300 years?"

"Always joking," he muttered. "Even when you're at risk of facing possible execution, you joke." His words caught everyone off guard. The Romans began to whisper to one another as the word 'execution' rang in the air. Bellona's eyes fell to Minerva, her brows furrowing in confusion and worry.

"He wouldn't, would he?" She asked, but all Minerva could do was shrug her shoulders. Their eyes then fell to Discordia, who stood there silent, her eyes now like daggers as she stared down their father.

"Isn't it against the law to kill another God?" Neptune spoke out, coming forth towards Jupiter. Neptune's eyes briefly fell on his nieces, and without having to say another word, they knew he was on their side in some type of way.

"But she has done nothing but wreak havoc and cause ruin no matter where she is. Her death would bring about peace," Mars spoke up, challenging his elder. Bellona's eyes landed on her ex-husband, and instantly, she found her body heat up in anger.

"And what do you know of peace, God of War?" Bellona spoke up, walking closer to him. "Her crimes are vile, yes, but she was manipulated by Loki. If anything, she should rot in a prison and learn from her mistakes."

"What? You're suggesting we give her a time out?" He snorted. "She murdered humans and aided Loki in his attempt to take over Midgard. Our purpose is to protect Midgard, and she did nothing but put it in danger."

"As if you actually care about anyone other than yourself," she scoffed. "We are supposed to be better than that. Killing one another is against our most sacred law. We all have a purpose and bring balance to the universe. By riding one of that, it will ruin everything we've worked so hard to built."

"She's right," Juno spoke up. She approached her husband's side, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "We cannot ignore our most sacred rule. She must be punished, but death is not the answer."

"If imprisoning her is what you suggest, then where shall we place her?" Mars asked.

"Vulcan can craft a cell capable of holding her," Minerva suggested. She approached the center of the room, her eyes falling onto her brother. "He is our greatest metalworker and has crafted the strongest cells on Midgard. If anyone is capable of creating something strong enough to withstand."

"I'm willing to do so, but it could take months to craft such a thing. We'll need a place to put her until then," Vulcan said.

"Asgard," Bellona suggested. Murmurs from the Romans filled the room as her words echoed. Suggesting they ask for the help of the Norsemen was almost insulting to them. The Romans were stubborn enough asking for help from others, but the Norsemen? If it weren't for Juno insisting they stay at peace and cordial with them, the Romans would seize all communication with the others.

"You can't be serious," Mars scoffed.

"She's right," Neptune agreed. "They're the only other ones with cells capable of holding even the strongest creatures known in the universe. With our long-standing friendship, they're bound to help us. At least until Vulcan can provide a cell for us to place Discordia."

Neptune's eyes met Bellona's briefly and the faintest smile formed on his lips. Bellona slightly tilted her head in her way to say 'thank you.'

"It's insulting that you would suggest we'd trust the Norsemen to do our job for us. Do you not believe we're capable of holding our own prisoner?" Mars questioned. Bellona chuckled briefly before bringing her attention onto the man, walking towards his direction. Without meaning to, her hands balled up into fists, restraining her from doing something out of bounds.

"Right now, we don't have a place to put her. If it makes you feel better, why don't we station you to stay by her side in Asgard, making sure she stays imprisoned, hm?" She cocked a brow. "Does that put you at ease, Mars?"

"That's the dumbest thing I've heard you say all day," Discordia retorted. Bellona simply rolled her eyes, not even daring to look back at her sister.

"If it puts you at ease, Mars, I'll escort Discordia to Asgard. I'll speak with Odin and propose that he'd allow her to stay in one of their cells until Vulcan creates one capable of holding her here." Minvera said before bringing her eyes to Jupiter. "If you will allow me, father."

"I will allow it," he nodded. He stood from his seat, causing whatever small murmurs to come to a halt, all eyes falling onto him immediately. "Discordia's punishment for colluding with Loki of Asgard in their attack on Midgard is imprisonment until death. She will spend the beginning months of her sentence in an Asgardian prison until a cell can be provided for her on Olympus."

"This is outrageous" Mars challenged.

"Are you challenging Jupiter's ruling?" Minerva questioned. She took a few steps towards him, joining Bellona's side. "Do you not trust your king's judgment?" Her eyes harden as their eyes held a cold stare. Mars would be a fool to outright challenge Jupiter's ruling, and saying anything else would make him look terrible in the eyes of the other Romans. He simply scoffed before turning and walking away from the sisters. Minerva let out a satisfied breath before her eyes momentarily met Bellona's.

"I should speak to father about my travels to Asgard," she started, taking a step closer to her sister as a sly smile formed on her lips. "I could use some company. It's going to be awfully lonely."

Bellona couldn't help but laugh at her sister's words. She knew exactly what she was trying to do, and honestly, she found it cute. But she knew nothing could come of it. Thor's heart belonged to another, and she didn't want to bother him more than she needed. After all, he had nine realms to bring peace to.

"Cute, but I'm sure Discordia will keep you company, Minerva." She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder before saying her goodbyes and walking to her uncle, Neptune. When she saw her, his face lit up.

"Bellona," he beamed as he wrapped a large arm around his niece. He placed a brief kiss on her forehead before the two began walking, leaving the room. "You get more beautiful each time I see you. I miss seeing you on Olympus."

"I miss seeing you too, uncle. But I'm sure you know why I prefer to keep my visits brief."

"I do," he nodded. "But you shouldn't let that weasel stop you from coming home. Even your mother misses seeing you."

"It's not just him that drove me away from Olympus. It was the whispers, the stares. Romans looked down on me for divorcing him. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to leave."

Neptune pulled Bellona closer to him, his hand gently rubbing her shoulder. He made her feel safe, something her own father never did. Truthfully, Neptune was more of a father for her than Jupiter was. He understood her unhappiness in her marriage to Mars and stood by her side through everything while her father simply told her to get over it all.

"Could you at least stay for tonight's festivities? Your mother planned a party and she'd love for you to grace us with your presence." He pouted slightly, trying his best to convince her, and after a moment or two, she caved.

"Fine, but don't expect me to play nice with everyone. Especially not Mars."

"Please, if he gets out of line, I'll personally take care of him myself. I promise." The two of them laughed as they continued down the hall.


	11. The Outcast

Music and laughter filled the air. Children's cheers echoed into the sky as they praised the gods in celebration. Couples danced together, friends drank and sung together. It was a beautiful sight as Bellona watched from afar. A part of her was envious, remembering how things used to be.

She used to be involved, felt welcomed by these events. Many would beg for the woman to join them in celebration, then they'd become jealous of those she chose over them. But things were different now. She wasn't the same Bellona they people knew and loved. She as a woman who broke tradition and left her people. She was an outcast.

"This is just sad," Discordia sighed. She was rested against the stone wall, idly running her finger along her pants. "While everyone celebrates my imprisonment and peace, you're sulking and babysitting me."

"I'm not sulking," Bellona retorted. "Besides, I'm simply waiting for Pietas to look after you for the night."

"I think this is a bit much. I only went after a few people."

"You and Loki harmed thousands of people and nearly destroyed a city."

"That's nothing compared to the billions of tiny humans who live on Midgard. Besides, New York isn't that great. They've got a serious rodent problem and the traffic is horrendous."

"You really are mad, Discordia," Bellona shook her head. Her attention was again falling onto the celebration outside. "You know, you could've been included in that. Dancing with friends and family, giving thanks for our prosperity."

"No, I wouldn't have," Discordia scoffed. "I've never had friends. Everyone was either afraid of me or hated me. Even mother was..."

"That's not true, Discordia. She loved you, loved all of us, even Minerva. She cared for us when father never did."

"No, mother was scared of me. I knew she was ever since an accident happened with Juventas when we were kids. The only person I could ever depend on was **me**."

Bellona could see how hard her sister tried to remain tough. The glare was filled with anger, but she could also see how hurt she was. She noticed how fast her eyes became glossy. She spent hundreds of years being angry at the world and had no one at her side. The only person who did was Loki, but even his influence on her only brought out the worst in her.

"You know, you're not the only one hated here," Bellona glanced outside the window. "My failed marriage made me the laughing stock. Whispers about me spread, many believed it was my fault and not Mars for him cheating. No one ever dared to marry me again, worrying that I would break tradition again. And my bloodlust...people believed I was savage and crazy."

"And yet you fight for these people?" Discordia questioned.

"I do," she said proudly. "I fight to honor those before us and who have fallen, I fight so that I can live, and I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. I will give my life to my people because that's who I am. Life is precious." She glanced over at her sister. "Even yours."

"Is that why you fought for mine?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Father has taken so much from you, I won't let him take away your life."

Discordia remained silent. She had no snide comment, no dirty, was completely and utterly silent. Despite everything she had done, everything she had said in an effort to hurt Bellona, she still stood by her.

The silence between the two was broken by the distant sounds of a creaking door. Distant footsteps echoed through the halls, each step becoming louder and louder until finally, Pietas appeared before the two.

"Sorry I'm late, Bellona," she apologized. "Getting through the streets was harder than I thought." Bellona gave her a small smile and headed for the door. She turned, giving her sister one final smile before disappearing from Discordia's sight.

The crowd was bigger than Bellona thought and she could see how difficult it was for Pietas to get through the streets. Walking to the palace was strange. She could feel the eyes on her, even hear the faint whispers through the loud cheers. No matter how many years had passed, no one will ever forget about her divorce, nor will they ever let her forget about it.

As she neared the top of the stairs, she saw Minerva standing alongside Neptune. They both looked stunning. Minerva's hair was out with small, intricate braids that were complemented with ivory lilies. She wore a traditional stola, it's color was a light blue and complimented the lillies well.

"You look beautiful, Minerva," Bellona said in awe. Minerva blushed slightly as Neptune nudged her shoulder gently.

"It was your mother's idea," he said. "She's hoping this event will help Minerva finally find a suitor."

"I don't need a suitor, Uncle. I'm completely happy by myself."

"Tell that to the Goddess of Marriage," Bellona teased. She joined her sister's side and the three started towards the entrance. As they passed small crowds, people bowed their heads, honoring the three. It seemed so foreign to Bellona. She was so used to passing people and no one really noticing her. But here, it was different. The attention could either be good or bad; those acknowledge her royalty or they acknowledge her scandal. And deep down, she was missing New York and it's simplicity.

" _Bellula_ ," Juno called out to Bellona. The two embraced and Bellona melted in her arms. She felt like a little child once again. She felt safe in her mother's arms. It had been so long since the last time they've been able to do more than say a simple 'hello' in one of the annual meetings. "Oh, how I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, _mater_."

Juno took a moment to admire Bellona. She gently cuffed her daughter's cheek, a smile slowly growing on her face. "You've gotten even more beautiful over the years," Juno gushed. Bellona chuckled and scrunched her nose in a way that practically mirrored her mother.

"I got it from you," Bellona retorted. They were soon joined by Minerva and Neptune, who both greeted Juno and thanked her for the festival. "You know, I've been to many events in Midgard, but none of them will ever compare to your events."

"Thank you, Bellona. And I'm glad you made it. I was worried you would've run off to Midgard once the trial was over."

"I almost did," she admitted.

"I talked some sense into her," Neptune said proudly. Bellona playfully rolled her eyes at her uncle. "Besides, I believe she could use a distraction."

"Really?" Juno questioned. "A distraction from what?" Bellona's eyes shifted to Minerva and she knew immediately what Neptune was referring to. Minerva's eyes shifted to the distance, acting as if something caught her attention.

"I see Minerva is incapable of holding water," she said through gritted teeth.

"Bellona," Juno called. Bellona sighed before looking at her mother.

"Minerva thinks I need a distraction from Thor because we rant into each other in New York."

"Oh," it seemed like something set off in Juno's mind. "I see," she nodded. "Well, you've always been close with him when you were children."

"I wouldn't say we were close, _mater_. We were friends, and frankly, he was annoying at times too."

"Not as much as Loki," Minerva interjected. Neptune and Bellona nodded, but Juno gently slapped Minerva's arm for saying such a rude thing.

"What? You know it's true, Juno. The man was a snake and always caused trouble in town whenever the family visited."

"Who was a snake?" A soft voice called out. The four followed the voice and saw a beautiful redhead approach them. They all smiled as they watched the woman cling to Neptune's side.

"She was talking about Loki, Salacia," Juno told her. Salacia groaned in response which earned a deep chuckle from Neptune before he placed a kiss to her forehead.

"Well, while I enjoy this bit of gossip, Salacia still owes me a dance. I will talk to you all later," his eyes then fell on Bellona. "Don't forget to say goodbye for heading back." Bellona nodded before Neptune and his wife disappeared into the crowd.

"But back to Thor, you should have seen her face when he said goodbye. It was almost like someone had stolen her favorite toy," Minerva said.

"Okay, you're over-exaggerating, Minerva," she scoffed.

"No, I'm not. Juno, you weren't there. He did something not even father can do. When she was mad, and I mean **_mad_** , he managed to talk her down from it. Even I couldn't do it, but **_he_** could."

Juno's brows raised at the news. She knew all too well how bad Bellona's bloodlust could be. But the fact that he managed to talk her down was something she never expected. It was something only her and Minerva was capable of.

"It's not that serious," Bellona's hands idly fiddled with the fabric of her stola. "Besides, let's not talk about my madness and love life. What about your love life, Minerva? Isn't Juno supposed to be finding a suitor for you?"

"Oh, speaking of a suitor, I have a man in mind," Juno beamed. She grabbed Minerva's shoulders and shifted her body before pointing in the distance. "That man with the dark brown hair, the one beside Mars. His name is Magnus and is interested in meeting you."

Minerva's eyes widened in horror and quickly began shaking her head.

"If he's friends with Mars, I don't think this is a good idea."

"He's not, he's just socializing. Don't worry, I've done my research on him." She patted Minerva's back, easing her forward. "Go on, talk to him. Show your sister how it's done."

" _Mater_ ," Bellona groaned. Minerva took a final look at the two, the look of absolute terror was plastered on her face. Bellona gave her sister a thumbs up and watched as she approached the man. Her eyes lingered a little too long and before she knew it, her eyes met Mars.

Her breath caught in her throat and she felt frozen in place. She wanted to run away, but her feet wouldn't budge. She watched as he said his goodbye to Magnus and made his way towards Bellona and Juno.

"Good evening, ladies," he greeted the two. "I hope there are no hard feelings from the trial. I simply wanted you to think about the safety of our people."

Before Bellona could speak, Juno placed her hand over Bellona's and held it tight. "We will not speak of politics, tonight. Tonight, we will sing, dance, and socialize and think about peace and prosperity."

Mars nodded before giving Bellona a smile. "You look beautiful, Bellona. It must be strange, though. Wearing the clothing of our people instead of denim jeans and t-shirts like they do on Midgard."

"Not strange at all," Bellona said through a faux smile. "Though the only strange thing is you giving me the time of day in public. You know you don't have to fake it anymore."

The smile from Mars' face dropped and Bellona knew she struck a nerve. She didn't care if she was being immature at this point. She was tired of always having to bite her tongue around him, but they were no longer married, and she no longer had appearances to keep up.

"You must still blame me for everything," he scoffed. "When will you grow up? Move on with that anger, I sure have."

"Easy for you," Bellona scoffed. "You're a man, you'll never understand."

"Enough," a voice boomed. Bellona's attention was brought onto her father. His voice caught the attention of others, and Bellona could feel the fear from them. He made his way towards them and towered over them as he joined his wife's side. "Can we have one festival without a brawl?"

"I'm sorry, your grace," Mars apologized.

"Sorry," Bellona quietly said, lowering her head to her father.

"I'll make myself scarce. I wouldn't want to cause any more issues." Mars bid farewell to the family before returning to the side of Venus. Bellona's eyes watched as the two embraced one another, seeing something in Mars that she never once saw. She could see the love they shared in the way he held her, the way his eyes beamed when he looked at her.

Why wasn't he ever like this when they were together?

"May I steal our daughter?" Jupiter asked Juno, to which she nodded in approval. Jupiter brought an arm around Bellona and the two made their way down the hall, getting far from the crowd and finding privacy on a balcony. Bellona looked down at the lights that shined below them. They were beautiful in the darkness and she couldn't help but smile.

"I've missed you, Bellona," Jupiter finally said.

"I've missed you too, _pater._ "

"Our army hasn't been the same since you left," he sighed. "Mars is a good commander, but he doesn't compare to you. You were the best of them all," he praised.

"I'm sure you've gotten by with them under his command. Besides, you still have Minerva to assist you."

"They lack the drive that you have, child," a small smile formed on her father's face. "They lack the fury that made you so glorious in battle."

"You say it as if it's a good thing," she chuckled nervously.

"It is. You've always hated it, but it's what makes you stronger, a better fighter. Even better than Minerva."

"There's nothing good about becoming so angry that I lose control, _pater_. I could kill anyone who gets in my way, yet you think that's good?" Bellona couldn't hide the fact that she was getting frustrated by the conversation. Jupiter sighed before taking a step closer to her, putting his forehead against hers and they both took a deep breath.

"I don't mean to upset you," he apologized.

"It's fine, it's just...this is so much. Being here, the attack in New York, seeing you and the others is just..."

"A lot to process," he said simply. Bellona nodded and the corner of his lips curled up slightly. "You know, if you came back to live here, maybe things will go back to normal."

"You know I can't do that," Bellona pulled away before looking over the balcony. "Olympus never forgets, and no one respects me because of _that_."

"Then make them respect you," he said simply. "The only way to win people is fear and order. Simply put them back in line and they'll follow you."

She turned to her father, her eyes widened slightly. "Do you hear yourself? You want me to prove to these ignorant people that their thoughts about a Mad Goddess are right?"

"It's worked for me, surely it will work for you."

"You don't know me at all, Jupiter," Bellona scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm not Mars. I don't enjoy using fear to get people in line." Without saying another word, she started for the door, but the sound of her father's voice stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

" _Home_ , to Midgard," she said over her shoulder.


End file.
